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10 Ways I’ve Grown My Business

July 3, 2019

Being Persistent – Not Giving Up

One of the biggest things I see among aspiring entrepreneurs
is a lack of resilience. You guys know I love you, but some of you need to be
more persistent. It is one of the biggest make-it-or-break-it traits for an
entrepreneur.

Carol Dweck breaks down in her book, Mindset, that there are
two types of mindsets: fixed and growth. A fixed mindset tends to play the
victim in most scenarios; this individual believes that their qualities are as
they are – that talent alone creates success, without effort. On the flipside,
is the growth mindset – the belief that there is always room for an
improvement, and when you encounter a bad experience you look for ways to learn
from it, to grow.

I believe that’s one of the biggest barriers for
entrepreneurs. Too many of us have a fixed mindset that holds us back from our
true potential.

Some of you have heard this before, but I believe it serves
as a good reminder:

The entrepreneurs that you look up to (Rachel Hollis, Jenna
Kutcher, Joanna Gaines) – did not get to where they are now without a
lot of hard work, uncomfortable experiences, or nights where they cried
themselves to sleep. You are only seeing the result of all of their
work. Things did not come easy for
them.

And no, things will not come easy for you either – but if your
role models can make it this far? You sure as heck can, too. You just have to
be persistent about it. Look at your uncomfortable experiences as lessons you
can learn, and remind yourself that all great leaders started somewhere. This
is your somewhere, it will get you to where you want to be – if only you
persist.

Not being afraid to
try new things

This is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself
as an entrepreneur. It boosts your creativity and gives you more clarity about
the services and/or products you could offer.

If I hadn’t have said “why not?” to photographing my first
boudoir session, I probably wouldn’t have ended up becoming a boudoir
photographer. If I hadn’t have taken a leap of faith and left my 9-5, it would
have taken me a lot longer to build my business to where it is. If I hadn’t
have said yes to photographing a clothing company’s Fall line, I might not have
realized that I really love working with other brands.

I’m all about niching down, I think it’s a super valuable
thing to do for your business – but I’m not against trying new things. I’ve
said it before and I will again: it is okay
to evolve in your business. That shows growth.

Investing in Yourself

Hands down, one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself
and my business. Investing in yourself leads to new growth, connections, and
opportunities. Whether it’s through workshops, mentoring sessions, hiring a
business coach (hello!), or online resources. They say that people who pay, pay
attention and I could not agree more. While you can find a ton of info through
podcasts, blogs, or freebies – if you really
want to take your business to the next level, investing in yourself will help
make that happen.

However, I need to follow that up with this: you have to put in the work. Simply
hiring a business coach and then continuing to do the same things you were
before will not give your results. You have to put in the work, too.

Allowing yourself to
dream

I’ve gotta thank Evie Rupp for this one! Awhile back she shared on her Instagram that she took the time to write out all of her dreams. She held nothing back. And then, one by one, she began to see them come to fruition.

I tried it out myself and sure enough, my dreams began to
unfold, too. There’s something about allowing yourself to dream – giving
yourself that permission. It is so freeing.

Studies have shown that people who write down their goals
accomplish significantly more than those who don’t. And that leads me to my
next point:

Setting goals

You will never get very far if you don’t set goals for
yourself. They don’t have to be big goals – they can be simple goals like,
forming a morning routine that you’ll do every morning.

I love Rachel Hollis’ practice, 10 dreams I made happen.
Every day, you write down the 10 dreams you want to happen. Every day. And
because you are writing them down every single day, you really begin to believe
them. It’s very empowering!

Setting goals for yourself and your business will absolutely
lead to more growth.

Forming a good
quality experience

This is how you get referrals and repeat clients! I actually
did an entire episode all about my client experience back in episode #5, so if
you need any inspiration then give it a listen! Client experience is how you
get people coming back and bragging about you to their friends.

Treat your clients like gold and they will bring you even
more business.

Reading & Writing

The past year especially, I’ve realized the profound
difference this can make! I always keep a notebook with me to jot down ideas,
things I need to work on, or a good ol’ brain dump. It’s done wonders for
processing my thoughts – because if you’re like me, you have a million things
running through your mind on the daily and it can be hard to sort through them
all. Writing has made such a difference for that.

Reading has been just as effective. Some of my favorite
books lately are:

How to Get Sh*t Done by Erin Falconer

Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis

High Performance Habits by Brendon Bruchard

If you’re looking for a book to read that will better your
business, start with these 3. They are pure gold.

Surrounding myself
with a support system

You’ve heard the saying – you are the average of the 5
people you most surround yourself with.

As an entrepreneur, you need
a support system. I know that some of you are surrounded by people who say
that you can’t, surrounded by people who don’t believe in you and limit your
potential. You need to find the
people who will support you in this. It
is critical, not only for your business, but for your mental well-being.

Some of you are thinking to yourselves, “okay that’s great
and all, but how do I find those
people?”

Through Instagram. Through networking. If you want to
surround yourself with driven people (and remember: you and your business will
greatly benefit from it), you can find them on Instagram. Use geotags and
hashtags to search for other entrepreneurs in your area who you can meet up for
coffee with. Go to the Tuesday Together groups in your closest city. Connect
with people in your area through Honeybook Community.

Your support system exists. And those are some of the places
where you can find them.

Networking

On that same note, networking has done wonders in growing my
business. Connecting with other photographers in my area who I can meet up with
for work-dates, who I can refer to clients when I’m booked up and vice verse.
Reaching out to vendors about setting up styled shoots. Attending networking
events in town and actually interacting with people there. Striking up a
conversation with the gal sitting next to me at the coffee shop.

These are all ways that will grow your business, that will
get your name out there.

And a little networking tip: ask them about them. Take a
genuine interest in who they are – you are more likely to find things you can
relate on! Eventually they’ll ask about you and that’s when you can share what
you do, and why you love it so much.

#HustleHardPrayHarder

And the absolutely biggest way I’ve grown my business?
Through prayer.

My mentor, Nicole Balsamo, shared on her Instagram awhile
back that at the beginning of a month she wouldn’t have much booked. But by the
end, looking back, she had 2-3 things scheduled a day. When I asked her about
it, she said it was because of lots of prayer. And it made me realize that I
hadn’t been praying enough for my own business. So I started by asking for more
portrait sessions – before I knew it, I was swamped with more sessions that I
knew what to do with.

It was such a valuable reminder for me. You may not be a
faith-based person, and that’s okay. But I challenge you to try praying every
day for one week about one
thing in your business. And see if there’s any results.